"We also paid
attention to the engine room by accommodating a pair of C30s in the
power option," noted Stansel, referring to the new 1,550-hp 30-liter
Caterpillar V-12s. The C30 is about three inches shorter than the Caterpillar
1,400-hp 3412E's 81.8-inch length but only 31 pounds heavier.
(A pair of 800-hp Caterpillar 3406E diesels is standard.) And as I found
during my inspection of the engine room, while not a fully stand-up
space, there is more than enough room there to do maintenance as well
as access other equipment.

This well-thought-out
use of space is also found in other places throughout the boat. For
instance, her 149-square-foot cockpit has a 6'6"-long fishbox with
macerator, a bait and tackle center with sink and bait freezer, raw-
and freshwater washdowns, a chill box under the step leading into the
saloon, and a pair of stowage lockers under the port and starboard coamings.
"I prefer the transom door setup without the gate," Stansel
told me, noting the design reduces the chance of someone going overboard
while horsing in a trophy fish, especially in unfriendly sea conditions.

Stansel holds court
from the 150-square-foot flying bridge. A pair of Murray Brothers pedestals
provides captain and guest with comfortable seating that affords not
only the vistas common to convertibles but, with their positions well
aft, allows an unobstructed view of the cockpit and waters to either
side. A pair of optional electric teaser reels was in a flush-mounted
cabinet in the hardtop above the captain's seat. The pod console
has single-lever controls and an optional electrically retractable electronics
module that disappears into the console. There's a drink box forward
and to port and plenty of seating with stowage space underneath.

But the 54 is more
than a tournament-ready fishing machine. She also provides her owners,
their guests, and crew with comfortable and well-appointed accommodations.
The saloon and galley areas--the galley is forward of the saloon
and to port and has a dinette opposite it--offer 195 square feet
of space. The saloon has a butter-soft faux leather couch to port with
loads of stowage beneath--Stansel keeps 80 and 50 Internationals
there--as does the adjoining optional coffee table. The galley
is equipped with a four-drawer Sub-Zero refrigerator-freezer, garbage
disposal, microwave/convection oven, four-burner stovetop, wide countertops,
and cabinet stowage. In addition, there are six 36-inch-wide drawers
that should make it easy to provision this boat, and those large, wide
windows provide plenty of ambient light as well as afford panoramic
views.

Below, the layout
consists of three staterooms and two heads. There is an optional two-bunk
configuration for the forepeak, but my boat had the more traditional
queen centerline berth. These quarters, the side-by-side guest/crew
quarters just aft and to starboard, and the master to port all have
lots of stowage. In the master I found drawers beneath the berth, a
large cedar-lined locker, and a dresser with drawers. The forepeak also
has stowage beneath the berth, a cedar-lined locker, and lockers located
above and to either side. The guest/crew quarters has a double-door
closet and lockers and under-bunk stowage. With all this stowage you'll
never have to wear the same T-shirt twice, but just in case, a standard
washer-dryer combo is neatly tucked away in a hallway closet.

Hatteras did not change
its construction techniques. Like all Hatterases before her, and most
probably all those after her, the 54 has a solid fiberglass bottom with
no coring. Nonabsorbent Divinycell PVC foam core is used in the hull
sides and superstructure. The engine beds are mounted to steel plates
fully encapsulated in fiberglass stringers. According to Hatteras, mounting
the engines directly to the fiberglass stringer system helps prevent
engine vibration from being transferred to the hull. The topsides are
in three parts: bridge, console, and house and deck mold, which includes
the cockpit insert, and it all fits together with the hull in a precise,
shoebox fit. "We've taken a lot out of the construction
process by doing it this way without compromising any strength or integrity,"
said Stansel. "The fewer parts there are, the stronger the finished
product."

So she looks good
sitting in the dock, but how did she behave out on the water? My sea
trial took place at Hatteras' New Bern facility on the Neuse River
on hull number 15, which was lighter than the prototype by about 5,000
pounds.

The river was just
about flat calm, and therefore I could not assess her seakeeping abilities.
But I was able to quantify what happened when I put the raw power to
that fine-tuned hull design and experienced the boat's adroit
handling. It was exhilarating to take this fully loaded machine--74,520
pounds with nearly full fuel, water, and eight persons aboard, including
Stansel and Angel--and put her through her paces. I clocked my
54 at an average WOT speed of 38.5 knots, or 44.3 mph. And when I dropped
her down to 1750 rpm, I still had the 54 doing 30.4 knots, 35 mph. At
that speed her twin C30s were consuming 80 gph, which translates into
a 428-NM range. All in all, these are pretty impressive numbers compared
to other convertibles I've been on.

As for her handling,
I found her steering to be silky smooth and highly responsive thanks
to the Teleflex hydraulics. At her 2100 rpm cruise speed of 42.7 mph,
I noted she tracked straight and true, and when I threw the wheel back
and forth into some quick S-turns, she answered the helm quickly. I
still felt like I was moving even after we had her tied up at the dock.
After being out on a boat like the 54, I guess I still wanted to be.

With her new look
and big-power option, coupled with her proven construction and comfortable
amenities, the Hatteras 54 seems sure to garner a place among horizon-chasing,
offshore battlewagons. In fact, I'll bet she'll be the kind
of boat that will often be at the head of the pack instead of merely
running with it.